Who are I?
by Genro
Summary: This fic takes place directly after the ending of Metropolis. And has to do with the reconstruction of Tima, and her and Kenichi being reunited. For all fans who wanted them to be together, please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

((All characters are copyright of the creators of Metropolis. In other words I don't owe them, so please don't sue me))  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Kenichi stumbled as he felt yet another robot push him from behind. He didn't understand any of this, but for some reason it was making him happy. He had just been scrouging around among the wreckage of the tower desperately hoping Tima might of survived. When none other then Fifi had walked up to him.  
"Tima..." he whispered to himself lightly as he looked at the small electronic heart he held in his hands. Where did Fifi find this? Why did he give it to him? I don't understand...  
He once again looked do the robot procession around him. They were slowly walking in a small group among the rubbish and hunks of metal that had been left by the fall of the tower. To where they were going though...he didn't know.  
"Where are they taking me," he wondered "One moment Fifi seems to have come back to life, the next their carrying what I believe to be Tima's parts and crying "Tima! Tima!". I don't understand any of this. I have to know though."   
  
Suddenly he reached a clearing where he could see many different kinds of robots gathered around in a circle. So thick was the crowd that he was unable to see what was going on. Once again he felt that happy feeling, as if he was right in his decision to stay in Metropolis.  
"Must be a pro-robot demonstration or something...." he thought out loud, looking up to Fifi.  
Fifi looked down at him and waved its arms around in a happy gesture.  
"I don't understand, where are you taking me?" he asked yet again, but this time he needed no answer. For what he saw next made his jaw drop.  
"T...T....T.....Tima!" he cried out as he saw what the robots were gathered around. Lying there on a small levitated hunk of metal were the remains of Tima's body. She looked even worse off then when he last saw her though. Her legs were seperated from her body, almost her entire face had been torn off revealing the black mechanics underneath and those red soulless eyes. But even with the many broken parts he could still reconize the mysterious girl he had met not but a few days ago.  
  
He looked from left to right slowly assessing this situation when he realized something, something that came to his utmost shock and surprise.  
"They're....re...rebuilding her!" he cried out in his own mind as he realized that robots were surrounding the girl's body and slowly doing repairs to her structure. Already her left leg looked as good as new.  
"But...but how?" he asked as he looked up to Fifi, who had now taken a spot directly behind Tima's head.  
Fifi made a small beeping noise and almost smiled at him when the little trash bin in his stomach opened up, and out he pulled none other then Laughten's notebook.  
"Beep!"  
  
"The notebook!" he yelled out once again. He realized he had been yelling a lot in the past few minutes. He just couldn't believe this. Tima had meant so much to him. He had cared and protected her every second since her activation, and not only that, she had somewhat returned the affection that he had showed to her. As his mind drifted to thoughts of the past few days, they suddenly turned dark as he remembered what had happened only the day before.  
"Duke Red...." he grumbled under his breath as he remembered what he had done to her. Watching as her innocense had been turned to insanity. How once she gotten joy from just writing their names, and wearing funny clothes. Had later tried to kill him without hesitation.  
  
He was pulled out of his thoughts as Fifi tapped him on the shoulder.  
"Beep beep!" he sounded as he pointed down at the notebook, than towards Kenichi.  
"You...want me to help?" he asked as his face started to brighten up again, "Sure! Of coures I would. Just tell me what to do!"   
  
It was so curious to him. These robots who had always had to follow the precise rules set forth to them, otherwise be destroyed were doing something none of them were ever accustomed to. He then realized that the Marduk didn't exist anymore. These robots had nothing to fear from the government anymore. They must of realized that Kenichi and Tima had something to do with the destruction of the tower, thus were to thank for their freedom from the Marduk. Whatever the reason they were helping them, and he was beginning to formulate a way of life in his head that was based around one new fact, he liked robots. He liked robots very much....  
"Tima...."  
  
For weeks they worked on the girl. They were forced to move their operation in a nearbye tunnel for securities safe against the seeing eyes of the public, but none the less they kept on working. Kenichi was slowly starting to form close personal relationships with the robots. He didn't understand why people hated them so much. They laughed, were sad, happy, and angry. They undrestood each other's needs and the needs of Kenichi. How many times a day Fifi would leave and bring him food and water was inumerable. Yet he didn't seem to mind since Fifi cared for Kenichi and Tima.  
  
Another week had passed in their effort to repair Tima. The notebook was amazing, it had everything immaginable about Tima's infostructure. Without it they would never have been able to fix her.  
Kenichi thought about this as he sat in his tent. This tent was one of the same tents the robots used to protect themselves from the rain and wind that they didn't very much prefer. Tima had been moved into one of these tents as well. In fact it was the same tent that they had given to Kenichi to live in, since for some reason it seemed to calm the young boy to have her near.  
At the moment he was working on the delicate circuits of one of Tima's eyes, and was feeling very tired to boot.  
"Oh man I'm so tired..." he said with a yawn. Then looked over towards Tima's near complete body.  
"One more week Tima. Only one more week and you should be finished. All we have to do is finish up the final delicate circuitry, then reinsert your most important component." he looked over to a the small mechanical heart that had been placed inside a protective glass casing. It was odd that such an important and delicate piece of equipment was now settling on top of an upturned box. But they were living without the comforts of life. Therefore it would have to do.  
  
"Beep beep!" came the happy sounds of none other then Fifi entering the tent.  
"Oh hello Fifi, come to say goodnight again?" he questioned, since Fifi had been visiting him regurlarly to wish him a good night.  
"Beep beep..." he sounded shaking his head.   
"You didn't? Well then what's up?" he asked putting down the eye and look towards his mechanical friend.  
"Beep beep beep beep beep?" the robot bleeped as he nudged Kenichi a bit. Strangely over the course of the past few months he had learned to understand what robots were saying.  
"What do you mean, why am I helping her? I'm helping her...because....I'm worried about her. She's only a few days old ya know. She just started life, and I want to help her is all..." he said weakly, his voice drifting off.  
Fifi shook his head and crossed his arms in disbelief.  
"Beep beep beep!"  
"What?! What do you mean thats not how I really see her?!"  
"Beep beep..."  
Kenichi gasped, his face turning red.  
"Take that back! I do not...lo......well you know!" he yelled, glaring at the machine.  
Fifi shrugged lightly as he gave him a suspicious glance that made Kenichi even angrier.   
  
"Boy angry...human sign of embarrasment. Original theory proven. Task completed" Fifi's mechanical mind thought to itself. He may have made Kenichi mad but Fifi didn't care, the seed had been planted, and he knew that Kenichi was lying to himself. He really did care for Tima deeply, and Fifi knew it. Sastified with completed mission the machine left the tent making an almost laughing kind of beep as he went.  
"Robots....who needs 'em..." he grumbled, then he once again looked at Tifa's lifeless body.  
"I do...."  
".....Erk!" he yelled as he clasped his hands over his mouth, hoping no one had heard that.  
He grumbled to himself as he balled his hands into fists.  
"I have to forgot about all this nonsense! "Worry about the task at hand then worry about everything else", thats what uncle used to always say. Alright now lets go Kenichi!" he said with a confident air to his voice as he picked up the eye again and began to work on it. 


	2. Chapter 2

((All characters are copyright of the creators of Metropolis. In other words I don't owe them, so please don't sue me))  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kenichi's hands shook violently as he held the delicate mechanical heart in his hands.  
"Today is the day. Today I'll place this heart back inside of Tima and I'll get to see her again. She'll talk to me, and say my name over and over again." he thought to himself trying to build some confidence.  
He looked over to the robots surrounding Tima's now complete body, albight a small hatch in her chest where the heart was to be placed.  
Kenichi took a few steps towards them, and bowed slightly, his eyes filling with tears as he started to get emotional.  
"Thank you everyone....you...I....couln't of done this without each and every one of you. Thank you!" he said shakily. Though he could feel himself smile as he heard all of them cheer for him and give many a "your welcome" or "no problem Kenichi".  
He nodded once again he he approached her body, his hands holding the small heart as they neared the open hatch.  
  
"All I have to do is place it back in. Ok here I go!" he said to himself as he slowly placed the heart inside of Tima, connecting the few cords and wires, then stepping back. Everyone held their rotors as Kenichi reached over to push the small starter inside the hole under her right ear. Gently he held the small needle like object as he tried to calm down enough to give him the proper control needed to insert the small object.  
Finally he regained his cool, then with a final shove he pushed the starter in, watching as sparks started to fly out of the young girl as her systems slowly came back to life. He could feel himself make a silent "Yes!" as he watched this happen. Finally sastified that her life support systems had been reactivated, he then slowly pulled the starter out again. Though now all he could do was wait, and hope that their toils had not been in vain.  
  
No one moved as the girl lied there not seeming to respond. Kenichi felt hs heart fill with despair.  
"What? What did we do wrong? We followed the notebook exactly. To the letter! This has to work!?" he cried out as he leaned over Tima's lifeless body.  
"Please Tima! Please wake up! Its me Kenichi!" he yelled out, feeling himself starting to cry again. Though as he shook and shook nothing seemed to be happening. An air of sadness could be seen filling the room as he desperately shook her over and over again.  
"Come back....please come back to me Tima!" he said in between tears as he leaned over to her. Then suddenly he felt something warm on his cheek.  
Everyone gasped as they saw that Tima's hand had moved up to Kenichi's cheek and was stroking it gently. Then with a spark of life her hair seemed to move and glow as if it has a life of its own, as the once dead girl rose to a sitting position.  
  
Slowly her eyes opened as they looked towards Kenichi, here hair settling down to its normal short yellow length.  
"Who....who are I?" she asked very quietely. Kenichi's heart dropped as he looked into her eyes to see that they were blank. As blank as they were when he had first met her. When he had been trying to explain the difference between "you" and "I".  
"Its me Tima! Its me Kenichi! Don't you remember?!" he said staring back inside her deep blue eyes.  
"Ke...nich....i?" she whispered once again gently, though this time her eyes started to sparkle with the same awareness as before the incident at the tower.  
Tima's chest convulged as she was unable to control herself and started crying violently, pushing herself against him hard as she held onto him for dear life.  
  
The tension in the room vanished almost immediately as everyone realizied that not only was she back. But she had retained all her memories. They must of been preserved in her heart, just like a real living human beings.  
Kenichi felt his heart dance with joy as he held her just as tightly as she was to him. He was so happy to have the old Tima back. But he was shocked when he looked down at her. Her tears, she wasn't crying oil like before. It was water....He lifted his finger where a tear had fallen to his mouth, touching it to his tongue. Yes it was water....salt water.  
"Tima!" he cried as he held her up and looked her in her still shaking eyes.  
"You're crying! You're crying real tears! You're like a real human!" he said with great enthusiasm.  
  
Nearbye Fifi was nodding, realizing it had been a good idea to put the filtration on her tear ducts so that she cryed salt water rather then oil. Fifi knew that it would be better if Tima didn't have the constant reminder everytime she cried that she wasn't human. He and all the robots in the room had been moved greatly by this show of what human beings called "affection." And they all realized that had been changed in some way by doing so.  
  
"No..." she said quietly wiping her tears gently.  
"No? What do you mean Tima?"  
"I'm not....I'm not a human being. I'm a robot...." she whispered as she drew away from him.  
"I'm not a human like you Kenichi..." she said in between sniffs.  
  
Fifi took this moment to realize that this is what humans called "alone time" These two needed to be alone. And while Tima and Kenichi were caught up in their conversation, he slowly ushered everyone else out of the tent. This fact though was totally lost to Kenichi who's entire world was centered around the yellowed hair girl before him.  
  
"I don't care!" Kenichi suddenly yelled clasping her hands together in his. She was visibly surprised by this, as she gasped slightly. He then realized, she could remember. She could remember everything. How she had been screaming inside while she watched herself try to kill Kenichi. She could remember her heart break when she looked into his eyes as he watched her slip from the tower. And she somehow even remembered how he had gone without for months, just to save her. To help her. It tore her up inside that he wasted so much time on someone so horrible as she.  
"How can you?! How can you Kenichi?! I'm...I"m such a horrible, evil person!" she yelled out bursting into tears yet again.  
"Tima....I...I...." he stuttered as he didn't know what to say at the crying girl in front of her. He realized whatever he said had to be elegant and sensitive. This girl may be a robot, but as far as he was concerned, he was looking at a living, breathing girl this instant. Then suddenly he made a decision, and began to speak.  
"I...Well actually for the past few weeks I've been living among these robots. And....I realized that sometimes I prefered their company to some humans. In a way, your the perfect one for me. Not quite human, but not quite a robot either." he said, as he lifted up her chin.  
  
"Kenichi..." she whispered sniffing again.  
He was always so kind to her. When she had been asked by Rock who was her father, she had said Kenichi, because Kenichi was the only one who had cared for her. From what she understood if a male human being took care of you, he was your father. But....right now, looking into his eyes as they filled with worry staring back at her. The word....father....didn't seem to fit well with the way she felt about him.  
  
"Are you really...able to stay with me Kenichi? Even after all I've done to you? To everyone?" she said staring back at him, her eyes wavering.  
Kenichi could feel himself swallow. He had realized how beutiful she was when they first met...but this was different, she was so....adorable, cute, and radiant all at the same time. He didn't know how to explain it any other way. Suddenly Fifi's words came crashing back into his memories and what he had said the previous week. Could he...did he...did he love Tima?  
  
"I...I want you to stay with me Tima. It seems like I've been waiting my whole life for you." he said quietly as he stared at her.  
"You do...Kenichi?" she said shakily feeling herself start to cry again.  
"But why? You have to tell me! Please, I want to understand." she asked pleadingly.  
Kenichi considered this for a few moments then spoke quietly, just above a whisper.  
"After the time we spent together, I couldn't live without you. When we were caught and seperated they had to sedate me, since I wouldn't calm down until I was able to see you again. I just need to have you near me Tima." he said, looking down, a bit disgusted at his own weakness. And hope she didn't see this as some sort of human weakness and discount it as such.  
  
"Do you love me Kenichi?" Tima suddenly blurted out.  
Kenichi was caught completely off guard by this.  
"Love? What? Where did you learn about that?" he asked confused.  
She only pondered this for a moment as she stared at him.  
"From the radio..." she answered matter of factly.  
It suddenly dawned on Kenichi about the radio. Ever since Tima had almost gotten them captured by turning it on, she had been listening to the love music stations non-stop. They speak of love in so many different and perverse ways you would just have to understand it in your own personal way.  
  
Tima stared at him waiting for an answer. She had no idea why she had asked that question, it had seemed to come from her out of nowhere. She felt she needed to ask that question. Also though with asking that question she was finally starting to understand something. She didn't love Kenichi like she saw many children with their fathers. She liked Kenichi in the ways described in the music she heard. When she thought of him she felt a great urge for him to be with her. She was horribly depressed whenever he was away. She could feel a strange feeling in her chest every time he complimented her or said something nice. This feeling she had...it had to be...its must be....  
  
"I do! I just realized it. I do, I do love you Tima...Whenever you're not here you're all I can think about. I..need you." he said with a burst of great courage, then it all faded away as he waited for her answer. He was waiting for what he expected. Tima simply telling him something like "you do?" or just "oh...". She might know what love was, but he doubted she knew what it meant to be loved by someone.   
"Darnit! Why am I so weak. Why couldn't I be with her without having to ruin it with my stupid human emotions. I will never forgive my...."  
"I love you to Kenichi." she said once again matter of factly.  
"..self....What?!" he exclaimed saying the "what" outloud.  
  
"I do Kenichi. I want to be with you to," she continued started to get teary eyed once again as she spoke "It was always the same way with me. You're all I can think about when your away Kenichi. I don't want to be alone ever again." she said with a smile, and without a further word, suddenly pressing her face to his chest.  
He looked down at her. He could feel his heart fill with overwhelming joy. She loved him, somehow she understand the concept and applied it to her own emotions. Oh happy day!  
He embraced her just as tightly as they sat there holding each other, for what they knew was the start of something very special.  
  
After a long while Tima finally disengaged herself and looked up to her. She slowly closed her eyes and brang her lips together. She wanted to do what she had seen on their TV at the hotel. She wanted.....well she didn't know. She had no name for this concept yet.  
"Kiss...She wants a kiss...." he said to himself softly. He then closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Whatever you want Tima......"  
With that he slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He could hear her almost make a squeek as he did so. He guessed that she must of been surprised by the pleasurable sensation, for he knew thats how it had been with him.  
As he slowly pushed his lips into a more forceful kiss with her. He could feel a wonderful feeling deep inside his heart and soul. They were dancing with happiness. The surprisingly warmness of her lips combined with the fact of her presence. He realized he had found happiness.  
  
"So warm..." Tima thought to herself as she felt Kenichi's arms encircle her small body. He was holding her she realized. He was....kissing her. Yes thats the word. I want to stay like this forever. Stay in this emotion. I feel....I feel....happy..  
Slowly the two dismebraced, and looked at each other for several seconds. Then slowly Tima opened her lips and spoke.  
"Kenichi...?"  
"Yes?"  
"Can I have some clothing?"   
  
"Ack!" he cried as he scrambled to look for some clothing. He had forgotten that she had been wearing nothing but a blanket this entire time. He figured he had just gotten used to her naked since he had not concerned himself with such things while he was repairing her.   
Quickly he pulled out some of his baggy clothes and handed them to her, turning his back to her while he waited for her to change.  
  
She giggled to herself as she reached for the clothing and put it on. It was almost identical to the one's she had worn before. But this time they were a navy blue color. When she thought that they were Kenichi's clothes, she pressed them to her face for a moment and inhaled them deeply, getting a warm feeling coursing through her body.  
"Ok." she said happily.  
He turned around and nodded.  
"You look....very nice Tima." he said with a smile, staring into her eyes once again.  
"Oh Kenichi...." she said her eyes wavering, glistening with this new feeling she had.  
  
Though before they could respond to each other's words, they suddenly heard a loud "beep".  
"Beep Beep Beep!" bleeped Fifi as he bounded in.  
"Fifi!" Tima exclaimed "You're alright!"   
Fifi beeped happily, then gestured outside the tent. Kenichi looked at him with a half annoyed glance because they had been interrupted. But deep down he couldn't stay angry at Fifi for more then a few seconds.  
"Hmm what is it Fifi? A party? In Tima and myself's honor?"  
Kenichi watched as Fifi danced back and forth happily. He could feel his deep admiration for robots growing even deeper as he watched Fifi's deep consideration for Kenichi and Tima's feelings.  
"Fifi...." Kenichi exclaimed realizing that Fifi truelly was one of his best friends now.  
"Party...." Tima said quietly.  
"Oh yeah I bet you've never been to a party before Tima. Well there's a first time for everything." he said happily, as both he and Fifi led Tima outside the tent.  
Once outside they were met with a round of applause as everyone clapped for the newest arrival into their little "family."  
  
Kenichi smiled at Tima as the sounds of applaused roared around them. The young girl was looking around her in surprise in awe. She couldn't believe that all of this was...for her. They cared about her....just like Kenichi.  
"Welcome home Tima. Welcome to your family." Kenichi said with a smile, putting his arm around her slowly.  
Tima could feel her face heat up as she looked around her.  
"Family....home...." she looked up to Kenichi slowly and smiled "I'm home..."  
"Welcome home Tima!" everyone cried in unison.  
"Yes Tima....welcome home."  
  
"Who am I?"  
"Who are you?"  
"We are each other, thus we are one."  
"And I love you so very much..."  
  
((Alrighty then how did everyone like that? Well since Metropolis is pretty new and not many have seen it yet, I'm guessing that the "everyone" I speak of, isn't a lot. Well anyway, about this fic. I wrote this fic only a few hours after seeing the movie for the first time. I was so unnerved by the ending, that I felt the need to make it complete and put Kenichi and Tima together. I'm such a sucker for those kinds of things, and I really could feel my heart break when Tima fell from the tower. Anyway this fic was what I call a relief fic. Something I needed to write in order to work off my own frustration about the ending to this movie. Not only that, even though this fic is in two chapters, I actually wrote it all at once, and I split it up only because I thought it would be weird as one very long chapter. Oh and if you haven't seen the movie and are reading this. See it! Its an amazing amazing piece of animation. Well anyway I hope you people enjoy this, until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood Genro signing off.)) 


End file.
